If God's election gives no consideration to any attributes of the chosen....

[Optimax]

So the Bible Knowledge Commentary also believes God gives consideration to characteristics of the person when choosing. This man exhibited trust in the wrong "god."

God is no respecter of persons.

A person is part of the "elect", "chosen", etc., when that person decides to accept God's Way to "Eternal Life", which is accepting Jesus as Lord.

Once a person does that they are then "predestined" to a Life for Eternity with God.

Once a person dies without having accepted Jesus as Lord, they are "predestined" to a life without God for eternity.

 

[Anoetos]

God is no respecter of persons.

A person is part of the "elect", "chosen", etc., when that person decides to accept God's Way to "Eternal Life", which is accepting Jesus as Lord.

Once a person does that they are then "predestined" to a Life for Eternity with God.

Once a person dies without having accepted Jesus as Lord, they are "predestined" to a life without God for eternity.

The Bible differs:

Eph. 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

 

[Optimax]

The Bible differs:

Eph. 1:3-6

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

Great Scripture!

He chose us in Him.

How do we get "in Him".

By receiving Jesus.

If we chose not to receive Jesus then we are not in Him and are not chosen.

Chosen for what?

To join God's Family and be with The Father God thru out Eternity getting to know Him and Jesus.

John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
KJV

 

[Mathetes the kerux]

Great Scripture!

He chose us in Him.

How do we get "in Him".

By receiving Jesus.

If we chose not to receive Jesus then we are not in Him and are not chosen.

Chosen for what?

To join God's Family and be with The Father God thru out Eternity getting to know Him and Jesus.

John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
KJV

His choosing precedes our actions tho

 

[Jpark]

If God's election gives no consideration to any attributes of the chosen (i.e. all souls are equally guilty), then why would it be difficult for a rich man to get into heaven? Surely God does not have a harder time electing rich people. Help me sort this thought exercise.

God bases His election on His observations. God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

The rich man Jesus was speaking of had a unclean heart (1 Tim. 6:10). Jesus is emphasizing the need for cleansing. A person who does not have a clean heart cannot be in His presence and in His love, cannot abide in Him (John 13:8).

 

[Hairy Tic]

If God's election gives no consideration to any attributes of the chosen (i.e. all souls are equally guilty), then why would it be difficult for a rich man to get into heaven? Surely God does not have a harder time electing rich people. Help me sort this thought exercise.

## Because of difficulties for the man, created by the man - and likewise with many other problems about how God & creatures are related. God elects - but election is lived out in history.

Does that help ?

 

[heymikey80]

Actually, when they doubted anyone could do good, Jesus assured them that "with God all things are possible." The disciples knew man of his own accord could not do anything "good" enough. But with God's help man can--that's why when we cry "Abba, Father" it is both our spirit and the Holy Spirit crying out together.

I don't see anything in the text saying that what they are commanded is only an unsalvific byproduct of prior election. And your post doesn't explain why it would be hard for a rich man to enter heaven if what he does is irrelevant anyway---it should be no easier or harder for God to elect a rich man or the woman with one penny since no human condition is a factor in God's choice. Plus, the text is preceded with the "if-then" statement: if you want eternal life-then keep the commandments and sell possessions and follow.

The text in any of the 3 narratives is not descriptive, it is prescriptive as a certain Reformed apologist likes to say in reverse. Prescriptive, by grammatical definition, would be in the reverse. It would instead read: If you have eternal life-then you follow commandments, etc...

The Reformed view is generally that Jesus is inviting the ruler to involve himself in his own salvation -- confronting him with the requirements stated for salvation, absent any help on God's part. And then inviting him to a way to be saved.

Jesus makes a comment about how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom. His point is that it's hard to convince a rich man of his own bankruptcy. Trying to get bankruptcy through to rich people is tougher. Again, Jesus uses human means to evangelize people. He can observe different practical results of those means, just like anyone else (such as James and Paul accounting for the number of poor in Christian churches).

It's not significantly harder for God to convert anyone He wishes, as Jesus actually says. And Jesus' actual point is clinched on this item, that someone who's not looking for God to bring his salvation is not going to gain God's salvation.